Pink Unicorn

Lets say that I believe in the Invisible Pink Unicorn. Deeply. Devoutly. I create an invisible pink altar in my house, go on invisible pink pilgrimages and believe that it is blasphemous to depict the Invisible Pink Unicorn in pictorial form!

Then one day, a newspaper brings out a cartoon depicting the Invisible Pink Unicorn. To my outrage, she is depicted as neither invisible (OBVIOUSLY) nor Pink. Sacrilege. Instantly I announce rewards for the head of the cartoonist and organize demonstrations in far off countries where much violence takes place, cars are burnt, property is destroyed.

So how do you react? Was the cartoonist wrong in insulting my faith? OR is my outrage justified? More importantly, is my behavior justified? Is my attitude bad or Is it just my ignorance?

Back to Bihar

Chalk to teach and Gun to protect is the line by which Gauri Shankar Singh, a simple primary school teacher lives in Bihar. Thou ridiculous it may sound, Mr. Singh carries books, chalk and a gun to his classroom full of children. He carries it everywhere he goes. No, its not a Pistol well concealed within his clothes, it’s a long barrel, fear infusing Enfield! Strong enough to crack an Elephant’s skull. Not that he terrorizes with it but he carries to protect himself. He claims there were many attempts on his life, but what’s protection and self defense for him is frightening for the children.
Link to the Story

What to take from this story?
Is Mr. Singh conveying to the young students that gun is your ultimate form of protection?
Or is he indicating power comes from barrel but knowledge is also power?
Or is he a source of inspiration leading to a gun society?
Or is it just the routinization of crime in rural hinterlands has come to such a point that it leaves commoners to take such measures?

Whatever the case may be, it is not as bad as in Columbine. Glad one way, its still the teacher who is carrying a Gun. Probably hundreds of people we meet in our daily life may carry a gun, its just that it is well concealed! The common Joe behind Dunkin Doughnut counter may carry a .65 caliber for his protection against whackos, so why not an educated school teacher in India? What’s the big deal?

Say What??

Here I am, being tested!
These are the times my confidence and integrity is of atmost matter.
I have to prove myself in these hardship. I cant step back nor skip opportunity.
I have to hit harder, work smarter and use all that I have to pass through this.
But I am still wondering what it takes to get through this. What should I be doing to fortify myself. Where I should cut down and where I should effort more. Or what
should be done different.
Wasn't I proud of myself that I can handle anything, the perfect survivor machine.
Hello......Did I miss something here?

SAP Integration using ALE

This article covers the topic in 7 sections:

1. Data Distribution Model
   
2. ALE process


3. IDOCS


4. Converters


5. Configuring ALE


6. Other concepts

ALE Data Distribution Model

Data Distribution Model consists of all participating systems and the messages to be exchanged by the system.
Data Distribution in R/3 to R/3 environment is easily achieved, but in case of R/3 and non- R/3 systems we need to consider data mapping and other stuff.
The following figure illustrates the concept of data distribution using ALE.

Figure1: ALE Framework

Business objects of SAP are distributed with the help of BAPIs.
(BAPI’s – is a set of Interfaces to OO programming methods. Business Objects are held in BOR (Business Object Repository) which in turn encapsulate SAP data and process. External access to this data and process is only available through a method called BAPI. BAPI’s are implemented and stored in R/3 as Remote Function Call (RFC) modules.)

While BAPI’s distributes the Business Objects, ALE acts as a layer that does the inter-linking of Business Objects at the application level. (like the name suggests, ALE, links the application layer)

ALE layer provides the following services:

• Application services: This layer is responsible for providing an interface (for instance: BAPI) to R/3 system to allow data exchange to or from external R/3 systems.
• Distribution Service: This layer is responsible for filtering and converting messages exchanged between SAP and Non-SAP systems. It is the core service, sandwiching between application and communication layers.
• Communication Service: This layer supports Synchronous and Asynchronous communication. (Sync messaging is used for direct reading of control data, while Async messaging is used to transmit and receive application data)

ALE Process

To understand the process flow, one must recognize the 3 primary entities which are involved in the message exchange process.

1. SAP R/3 system


2. ALE converter (inclusive of its sub-components)


3. External non SAP R/3 system

The diagram below shows how they work together.

Figure2: ALE Functionality

Concept of Logical Systems (LS):

Logical system represents an R/3 system or an External system. The existence of LS is mandatory for the corresponding R/3 client (which uses ALE or EDI). One of the LS will be the ‘sender’ while the other will be ‘the receiver’.
In an Inbound ALE interface, the base LS will be the “Receiver” while the other LS will be the “Sender”.

Message Types:

Message types relate to the structure of the data called an IDOC (Intermediate Document). Message type provides the format of the data which can be exchanged between systems. ALE supports over 200 message types in R/3.

IDOCS

IDOCs are intermediate storage documents (of information) which allow data exchange between SAP R/3 system and Non-SAP system to take place. They are sent bi-directionally. Message types are responsible for creation of IDOCs.

IDOC Component and Structure

Just like in internet, where the data is exchanged using data formats like IPV6, here in SAP, IDOCs are used which are well-structured medium.
The figure below shows the component and the structure of an IDOC.

Figure 3: Component & Structure of IDOC

Components of IDOC:

• Control Record: Contains Control information of the IDOC being, the sender information, the receiver information, message type and IDOC type. Control Record is similar for all IDOC types.
• Data Segment: Contains the Header (identity of the doc) and data itself.
• Status Record: Shows the information regarding the already processed stages and to be processed stages of the IDOC. It has an identical format for each IDOC type.

Structure of IDOC:

IDOCs support a hierarchical structure. Figure 3 shows an IDOC, starting with the header. The header has items, which in turn have sub-items. The lowest level in the hierarchy contains the text. The end of the IDOC is represented with the help of ACCUM (means accumulate) segment. Remember that an IDOC can only contain character fields.

Rest of the article will be added shortly

Aryan and Dravidian Races

The idea of Aryan and Dravidian races is the product of an unscientific,culturally biased form of thinking that saw race in terms of color. There arescientifically speaking, no such things as Aryan or Dravidian races. The threeprimary races are Caucasian, the Mangolian and the Negroid. Both the Aryans andDravidians are related branches of the Caucasian race generally placed in thesame Mediterranean sub-branch. The difference between the so-called Aryans ofthe north and Dravidians of the south is not a racial division. Biologically both the north and south Indians are of the same Caucasian race, only when closerto the equator the skin becomes darker, and under the influence of constantheat the bodily frame tends to become a little smaller. While we can speak ofsome racial differences between north and south Indian people, they are onlysecondary. For example, if we take a typical person from Punjab, another from Maharash-tra, and a third from Tamilnadu we will find that the Maharashtrians generallyfall in between the other two in terms of build and skin color. We see agradual shift of characteristics from north to south, but no real differentrace. An Aryan and Dravidian race in India is no more real than a north and asouth European race. Those who use such terms are misusing language. We wouldjust as well place the blond Swede of Europe in a different race from thedarker haired and skinned person of southern Italy. Nor is the Caucasian race the "white" race. Caucasians can be of any colorfrom pure white to almost pure black, with every shade of brown in between. Thepredominent Caucasian type found in the world is not the blond-blue-eyesnorthern European but the black hair, brown-eyed darker skinned Mediterraneantype that we find from southern Europe to north India. Similarly the Mongolianrace is not yellow. Many Chinese have skin whiter than many so-called Cauca-sians. In fact of all the races, the Caucasian is the most variable in itsskin color. Yet many identification forms that people fill out today in theworld still define race in terms of color.

love for Wife

Hi guys……

This one day I was sitting at the office desk, worn out with boredom. I wondered how it would be to write to my wife the day after I get married! Obviously since I am not married nor in love, it seemed like a challenge. So in an attempt to kill the boredom and taking myself 4 years down the lane, I wrote this………….


I’m not going to talk about the meaning of the circle of the wedding band or the meaning of the various rituals we decided to forgo. Instead, I’m going to try to explain how I feel about you.

Together we constitute far more than we do apart. When I’m with you, I’m happy. It’s the kind of happiness that sprung up as we got to know each other and has been deepening ever since. I never want it to stop. That’s why I was ready to propose to you so rapidly.

I’ve been looking for love my whole adult life. Having found it, I can say that it is much better than I’d ever dreamed. Since we’ve been together, I’ve realized that I was never in love before; a stunning and wonderful revelation at the age of 29. The feelings I have for you permit me to make a commitment to you with all my mind, with all my heart and with all my soul.

With the greatest pleasure imaginable, I pledge to love, honor and cherish you to the best of my ability for the rest of our lives. I can do more, I want to do no less. I will wear your ring with pride as a token of our love and our commitment.